Wounded Relationship
by Teh Dipstick
Summary: Shego's crossed a line that has cost her Dr. Drakken's friendship. If she wants to work with him again she'll have to swallow some of her pride. Not part of the TAB story line.
1. Mad Dogs and Aliens

The sunlight blinded Drakken as he opened his eyes, forcing him to shut them again instantly. Coughing and groaning he slowly managed to get himself up into a sitting position. He felt like someone had hit him with a truck, or like he'd had a run-in with an unhappy mobster sporting a baseball bat. His forehead was throbbing, his neck was stiff and his back and chest were aching like there was no tomorrow. The part of his body in the most pain though, was his left arm. His shoulder to be exact. Drakken shakily got up on his feet and stumbled a few steps before his legs gave away and he fell into the dark, coarse rubble surrounding him. That's how she found him. Face down in the rubble, unconscious as sea water started washing in over him.

She kneeled down next to the limp body and shook it gently. As the villain gradually came back to his senses she lifted his arm up and placed it around her neck.

"Dr. D?" she asked, standing up and pulling him up with her. He moaned in response. The mad scientist finally started reaching full consciousness.

"That's quite a blow that alien Amazon gave ya, huh?"

That voice. He knew that voice. It was _her_. His head moved from its hanging position as he forced himself to look at her.

"I thought you'd learned not to mess with aliens after the whole Area 51 thing, but nooooo," she continued. "Thanks to you my vacation was cut short by Princess…"

She suddenly noticed the look he was sending her. She'd seen it before, just not this intense.

"I don't need your help, Shego," he whispered hoarsely, his scowl growing ever deeper. "I don't _want_ your help!"

Shego kept quiet. Normally she'd make a sarcastic remark or comment on how he literally did need her help right now, but something told her it was best to keep her mouth shut.

"Let go of my arm," he ordered coldly.

Still somewhat shocked by the bitterness in his voice and words she quietly complied, releasing the supporting grip she had on him.

"Now get away from me."

Shego's mouth twitched. "Doc…"

"You're fired. I'm done with you."

"But…"

"YOU LEFT ME IN PRISON!" Drakken finally snapped. "And when I do get out, no thanks to you, you come here to mock me."

"No. Well, I mean… Maybe, but…"

"BE QUIET!" the man interrupted with a roar before his voice went icy again. "You don't get to talk. Not now."

Shego now felt about an inch tall. This was the angriest she'd ever seen him. He was even more mad than that one time she'd lost his body to Possible after he'd conducted a mind switch.

"I don't want anything to do with you anymore," Drakken continued. "I've had enough of you stealing my thunder, undermining my authority in front of every person we've ever had to deal with, and your constant mocking of my plans! And now this. You betrayed my trust, and our contract."

The sidekick swallowed. This… This couldn't be happening, could it? Dr. D firing her? The scenario was so… unreal to her. She'd never been fired before, and she wouldn't ever have expected him to do it. It was Drakken. Her safety net. The one person she could always rely on no matter what. He was the one stable thing in her life. In many ways he was more like family to her than even her own brothers. This… It wasn't right. It wasn't how it was supposed to be. She could see the anger and hurt in his eyes and hear the coldness in his voice, and it cut her, deep. Deeper than she'd ever like to admit. He was really angry at her. It wasn't just a game. It wasn't him having one of his frequent outbursts from being stressed or annoyed. No, this was real, focused rage. And he didn't even know she'd been the one to expose him as a fraud to Warmonga. She sure wasn't going to tell him now.

"Now get away from me," Drakken hissed as he turned his back on her and started walking away, revealing a slight limp. "I never want to see you again."

Shego blinked a couple of times as everything started to sink in. It _was_ happening. He _was_ firing her. Telling her to stay away from him. She wasn't really sure what she'd done, how she'd hurt him, but she had. A feeling she hadn't felt in a long time slowly came creeping up on her. Frowning she folded her arms, kind of like someone who's trying to keep warm. She turned around and walked over to her small, black hover car. Her frown deepened a little as she buckled up, and took off. She was alone now.

* * *

A week had gone by. Shego'd done a bank job, but not much else. She'd called around a little. Gotten in touch with a few of her old contacts. Even talked to Big Daddy Brotherson. She'd done a heist for him. It'd been simple and the pay was decent. Not much compared to her old salary, but money wasn't an issue anyway. After years of thievery, trading on the black market, and dealing in stocks and bonds she was well off. But she wasn't happy. Actually she felt pretty miserable, and she knew why. She just couldn't bring herself to admit that she missed _him_. She missed how he'd treat her like more than just a mercenary. She missed how he'd rely on her to help him with his schemes. She missed being able to push his buttons till he threw a fit. She even missed his more annoying qualities.

He'd been the closest thing she had to a friend and she'd managed to push him away. Now she felt lonely, and, in a way, vulnerable. Of course the worst thing was that she couldn't do anything about it. Well, she could say she was sorry… if she was really, really drunk, and dying. Saying sorry just wasn't her. She'd never said sorry. Not even back when she was a hero. She may have been what one would consider good back then, but she still hadn't been nice. Shego was sassy and sarcastic by nature. Always had been. Always would be.

She'd driven away plenty of people with her attitude before, but none of them had been remotely close to her. Dr. D had. He may have been bizarre, fickle and all around inane, but he'd respected her enough to keep his nose out of her personal life. Sure he'd ask how she was doing or how a date went, but he wouldn't pry like the Wego twins or give her a long lecture about coming home late, like Hego. He'd always given her privacy, probably because he valued it so much himself. The questions he did ask were never invasive. Just ones that showed he cared. That he was interested in how she was doing. It'd been nice.

It was raining outside. Pouring down actually. Shego sighed as she moved away from the apartment window and slumped down in her small, black couch. Maybe some TV would get her mind of things. She quickly found the remote and turned on the news. Nothing. Nothing remotely interesting. Nothing on the bank heists she'd pulled. Nothing on Kimmie and her sidekick. Nothing on… Dr. D. Shego groaned silently. Why did her thoughts keep going back to him? She didn't want to be reminded of how much she missed him. She didn't want to be reminded of the fact that she missed him at all. It seemed like fate wanted it different though. Then the phone rang.

Could it be? Only a handful of people knew her number. Him being the caller, it was a pretty safe bet. Maybe he was calling to apologize. To ask her to come back. Even grovel a little. She reached over to the corner table and picked up the phone.

"This is Shego. What can I do for ya? Oh, and be quick."

"No-no, this is about what _I_ can do for _you_."

She sighed in relief, but also disappointment. It wasn't Dr. D. She did recognize the voice however.

"Jack Hench."  
"Right you are." He responded. "And do I have a proposition for…"

"Look, not that I don't find your whole 'sleazy used-car salesman' personality charming, but could you get to the point?" The villainess interrupted.

"No beating around the bush. I like that."

"Riiiight."

"Here's the deal," Hench continued. "I'm inviting you to a villain's conference I'm setting up. Basically there'll be free food and drinks, and then I'll show you and a dozen or so of your colleagues some of HenchCo's newest merchandise, which you'll be able to purchase."

"Wow," Shego replied dryly. "A chance to be stuck in a room full of people with mommy-issues and feelings of inadequacy, while having to listen to you giving a boring presentation on HenchCo's latest load of junk."

"Oh come now. Now that you're moving up from sidekick to full fledged villain you're going to need my company's products to back you up."  
The villainess could just picture the oily businessman smirking on the other end of the line. "Whaddya mean, 'moving up'?"

"You and Drakken going your separate ways," Hench explained. "I'm the founder of my own, very successful company. You don't think I'd check up on someone before approaching them? That's like going into battle unprepared. Something I can't afford to do as a businessman. Besides, word spreads like wildfire. If you've got the right connections you can always rely on a steady stream of accurate, and valuable, information."

"Look, Sport, me and Dr. D…Drakken breaking up doesn't mean I'm suddenly into the whole world domination thing. I was only in it for the fun and money." Shego explained.

"Well I'm offering the chance for you to meet some new business-associates then."

The smarmy entrepreneur's proposal began to sound interesting. "Who'll be there?"

"Dementor."

"Yeah, no. I'm not working with someone who both looks and acts like a ripe pimple."

"Monkey Fist."

"My career would **so** be in the toilet. I mean, Monkey Fist. C'mon."

"Señor Senior Sr. and his son will be there as well."

"Nah, the pay's good but when they don't need me anymore they just dump me like last week's leftovers. And they expect me to fight crocodiles. What am I, a miracle worker?"

"DNAmy…" Hench was interrupted by Shego's shuddering.

"One minute of that woman and I'll kill _myself_."

"There's Killigan."

"Pass." By now Shego'd pinned the phone against her shoulder, leaving her hands free. She removed her right glove and started inspecting her nails.

"Well that's all of them," Hench told her. "Well, almost all."

"Saving the big guns for last?" Shego asked rhetorically.

"You could say that. Now, your old employer will be there…"  
"Dr. D…rakken?" The villainess bit her tongue. Why did she keep calling him that?

"But Gemeni's the one I thought you'd be interested in." She could hear what sounded like Hench putting his feet up at his desk or table, where ever he was sitting, at the other end.

"Yeah… Gemeni… Head of the Worldwide Evil Empire, right?"

"Exactly. I hear he's even looking for personnel."

"Count me in."


	2. Unpleasant Surprises

Shego was there to get in contact with Gemeni, yes, but that wasn't the whole story. The last time she'd seen Drakken was back on the island near the wrecked remains of his Caribbean lair. She wasn't there to ask his forgiveness or anything. Just to see how he was getting by without her. Maybe even throw the contract with Gemeni in his face. She already knew she was guaranteed to get it. A sho' win.

She was standing in the giant lobby of HenchCo's headquarters. All the metal and glass doors were complimented by the light blue color of the walls. There were stairs both to her left and right, leading up to the floor above. Large windows at the front of the building let the natural light in. It was late afternoon, but the sun was still fairly high in the sky.

Monkey Fist had already arrived, and so had DNAmy.

"Don't you dare get any closer! I have a restraining order!" He threatened her as she pawed at him and called him pet names while following him around.

_Bleh,_ Shego thought. _Talk about desperate!_

Señor Senior Sr. and Señor Senior Jr. were the next to arrive.

"This is important to me, son. I would appreciate it very much if you stayed here with me. It could even bring us closer together!"

"But papa, I do not want to be evil. I want to dance and sing! Like Britina."

Shego sent the two of them a polite smile as they approached. It was very quick, just long enough for them to understand that she acknowledged their presence and that she remembered them, but quick enough to also give them the message that she didn't feel like getting into a long conversation with either father or son. She really wasn't in the mood to exchange boring pleasantries with Señor Senior Sr. or listen to his son talk about either himself or tanning and hair products.

The elderly gentleman made a polite gesture himself, nodding at her as he passed her by. "Ms. Shego."

Señor Senior Jr. only waved at her, still focused on his father and the subject at hand as the two of them continued further down the hall.

"Can I not be evil tomorrow instead?" he asked.

"This demonstration will not take long. Please, stay for your old father's sake," Señor Senior Sr. responded, using the parental guilt trip routine.

Shego turned her attention back to the large glass doors, not really interested in how the father-son dilemma would turn out. She could see Gemeni walking up to it from the other side. He was flanked on either side by Duff Killigan and Professor Dementor, who looked like they were in a heated discussion. Both were gesturing with their arms and talking loudly, as if they were trying to make a point to one another. As soon as the doors slid open Shego could hear them loud and clear, and it became apparent that they were discussing their latest encounters with team Possible.

"It vas A HOUSECOAT!"

"Ye disguised yerself as an ol' lass."

"To get my hands on Kim Possible's battle suit!"

"Aye, while wearin' a wig an' a dress."

"You are not THE ONE TO TALK, SKIRT BOY!"

"T'is nae a skirt!"

"It looks like a skirt, und an UGLY skirt at that."

"T'is a kilt, an donnae forget it!"

"Gentlemen, gentlemen," Gemeni interrupted loudly. "Let's keep things civil while we're here. You're both scaring Pepe."

He gave both of them a stern look before nuzzling the Chihuahua in his arms lovingly. "Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy? Yes, you're a good little Pepe!"

The pathetic little creature was shaking like a leaf, nervously looking from side to side as his owner smothered him in love.

Only having heard of Gemeni and seen his mug shots, but never actually seen him in person, Shego had perceived him as the most normal person out of the three when she first saw them at the door. Now, seeing him doting over this half rat half dog… thing, she wondered if he just might be the biggest crackpot of them all.

She comforted herself with the knowledge that she'd worked for worse. Dr. D's car-obsessed cousin for one. At first she'd thought agreeing to work with him was a one way ticket outta the slammer, but when she finally learned the true reason why Ed wanted her the whole thing went downhill fast. Real fast. Gemeni, though seemingly just as infatuated with his dog as Motor Ed was with cars, lacked the mulleted man's chauvinistic character trait. Something that put him way further up on the 'ideal boss' list.

"If it is not fraüline Shego." Dementor's voice snapped Shego back out of her thoughts. "I see that you are here alone."

"Aye," Killigan uttered as he followed the yellow skinned man's lead. "Where's Drakken?"

"Yes, where is that no-good, two-bit rival of mine?"

"He still be owin' me money fer that thar project Centurion…"

"Don't know where he is," Shego interrupted. "Don't care where he is. Don't work for him anymore."

"So this means you are looking for a new employer, yes?" the German-accented villain wondered.

"Yeah, mhm, but I don't work for men who're gonna play dress up using my clothes."

"The funny, you are NOT!" Dementor huffed, almost pouting as he left to join the main group of villains.

"That goes for you too, haggis-breath," Shego told Killigan, now focusing her attention on him.

"IT IS NAE A SKIRT!" he howled angrily.

"Settle down there, banshee boy. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and sounds like a duck…"

Killigan didn't say anything. He just glared at Shego for a second, then hurried past her to mingle with the others.

The villainess smirked. Finally she'd gotten rid of her tag team tormentors. Now she could talk to Gemeni in peace. He was still petting and cuddling with his dog as she approached.

"Who's the best little doggy? Who's the best little Pepe?"

"Wow. That's just nauseating." Shego remarked.

Gemeni only lifted his gaze. "Ah yes, you must be this Shego I've heard so much about. Witty, sarcastic and currently unemployed."

"I'm thinkin' that's about to change. You're looking for people, ain't ya?"  
"True. I still haven't found anyone quite talented enough to be my agent Alpha."

"Agent Alpha?"

"My right hand man, or woman."

"Here's the thing," Shego told him. "You hire me and I'll do whatever job you need me for, but the name stays the same. Shego. She-go. Got it?"

"Hmmm…" Gemeni rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "You have to good an evil résumé for me to pass you up, but since you don't want to be my agent Alpha, how about being my personal assistant."

"Works for me. What's the pay?"

"Six figured."

"Ya know, I might actually like this job."

"I'm glad you think so." Gemeni told her, smiling. "You'll be given a lot of responsibility, but I'm sure both Pepe and I will find your work satisfactory."

"Pepe?" Shego wondered.

"You know," Gemeni replied, motioning at his Chihuahua with one hand as he held him in his other arm. "Pepe."

"I'm gonna be working for a dog?"

"As my personal assistant I'd want you to take him for walkies and bring him his food, yes."

"Me, work for a dog?" The job suddenly seemed a lot less appealing.

"And fetch his toys for him when he's upset. There's one he likes in particular, and honestly I find it quite amusing as well. It makes this squeak when you squeeze it. Hilarious, and cute."

"Wait, wait, hold on. You're telling me your dog is higher up the chain of command than I'll be?"

"I consider him a 'silent partner'." At this point the man lowered his gaze back down to his dog and nuzzled it like one would a baby. "Yes you are! Yes you are!"

"Oh… Wow…" Shego uttered, blinking. "Just… Wow."

"A man can't love his dog." Gemeni asked as he turned his attention back to her.

"Not when it borders on creepy. Look, I like causing havoc as much as the next gal, and a six figure pay isn't exactly easy to pass up, but I'm not gonna take a job were a mutt has more power than me."

The man raised an eyebrow in response. "You were the one who approached me." he reminded her. "You'd be wise to remember that."

"Yeah," Shego responded. "And now I'm wondering why. I don't play second fiddle to a dog. Either I get more benefits than your pooch there or I walk."

"Hmph!" Gemeni huffed. "It's not negotiable. I don't know how often you were able to get your own way with Drakken, but I assure you I am not a push over. So what's it going to be?"

Shego wasn't used to being talked to like this. Then again, she'd never spoken to Gemeni before, something which was painfully obvious. Now she knew the bond he shared with his little dog was bordering on creepy, far worse than what she originally though. He was at least forty, and was talking to the animal like it was his baby, putting it above anyone and anything else. The whole thing was just way beyond anything she could've imagined.

He was also clearly not used to being talked back to, and if there was something Shego loved it was just that. At least Señor Senior Sr. had let her be her sarcastic self, and Dr. D, well there'd always been this special understanding between him and her. She'd poke fun at him and he'd snap back, like a routine. With him it hadn't been just mocking. It was like an everyday ritual they went through. He'd know something was up if she didn't tease him, and she'd know the same if he didn't growl at her for doing so. They'd been stuck in this comfortable little loop of mocking and snarling. Gemeni, however, just calmly threatened her, and that took all the fun out of it.

Just minutes ago Shego'd been pretty excited about the prospect of working in the world-spanning organization. Now she couldn't imagine herself at the WEE at all. There was no way she'd be able to stand working for this man. She was so confident in landing the job it came as somewhat of a blow to her, especially since she now wouldn't have a contract to throw in Dr. D's face.

As these things were running through the villainess' head she suddenly felt overcome with an emotion she didn't feel very often. Bitterness.

_Why did he have to go do something as stupid as firing me? I don't need him and his half baked plans. He needs __**me**__! How could he lay me off? I don't get fired!_

Shego's frown deepened the more she thought about what had happened. She didn't answer Gemeni, throwing him a dismissive hand wave as she turned away. People were slowly starting to move towards the doors that had just opened at the other end of the lobby. Gemeni followed her as she hurried inside, a couple of red clad HenchCo henchmen closing the doors behind them. She picked out a seat on the end of the first row, making sure to leave a spot between her and DNAmy. Gemeni continued down the row, taking the seat on Amy's right. All the other villains settled in, Monkey Fist and his monkey ninja taking up the entire third row. Only one person was missing. Shego knew why. With his irregular sleeping patterns, Dr. D often lost track of the time.

_He'll be here._ Shego told herself. _This is too good for him to pass up._

Hench was accompanied by a blonde woman in an strapless, periwinkle dress. Shego guessed she was there to be his assistant and to entice the male villains into buying whatever he was trying to sell. She whispered something in his ear, to which he smirked and nodded. Then he turned his attention to the villains. "Everyone found their seats? Terrific. Let me just start by welcoming you all…"

Drakken came bursting in through the doors, clearly knowing he was late. After sighing in relief he brushed off his lab coat and regained his composure. Folding his arms behind his back like usual, he made his way over to the others. Quickly scouring the three small rows he could only see one free seat. His lips twitched a little and his eyes grew narrow as he realized who would be sitting next to him. Having DNAmy on his right didn't bother him much, but Shego sitting there right next to him… The thought was unbearable. He turned to Hench, scowling. "Is this the only seat left?"

"Sorry, but it looks like it."

The mad scientist hissed a little as he sat down next to his former employee. Though upset at her presence, Drakken didn't seem any worse for wear after having been without her for almost two weeks. Shego knew he was fully capable of taking care of himself. He'd done so before she first showed up at his doorstep, and sometimes he'd even worked alone, even though she'd been at his disposal. She knew all the things she'd told herself just minutes before were untrue. He didn't need her, he had fired her, and, the one thing she hated the most about this whole situation, she knew he'd been entitled to do so after what she had done.


End file.
